Lark wonders if Justin purposefully dies before she can get to his side. Do you think that could be true? Have you ever heard of a situation when a dying person’s final breath seems to happen at the one moment when they’re alone?

Lark’s attempt to get to Justin’s side is one of the most wrenching parts of the book, and something she can’t forgive herself for. Later, when she’s with Nancy, she wonders if Justin purposefully dies before she can get there. Do you think that could be true? Have you ever heard of a situation when a dying person’s final breath seems to happen at the one moment when they’re alone?

In Justin’s case, I don’t know. However, I know of quite a few instances personally and second hand, where people have waited to die until their loved ones stepped out of the room for a short time. My Dad was one of them. Unlike Lark, I have no regrets Dad went the way he chose.

My husband was in Hospice for 23 months with an incurable, rare disease. The Hospice workers said it's very common for patients to wait until their loved one leaves the room to pass. My husband did that when I left his room for about 15 minutes. I don't think Justin purposely did that. It sounded like he tried to hang on, but circumstances forbid it.

With respect to Justin I do not know but I do think some people would want time alone to prepare for the transition but would want one or two close family or friends there at moment of transition. I will say I only know this second hand.

I think Justin would probably have wanted to wait for her to be there.

She says that sometimes death is so traumatic, that the dying person chooses to go before a loved one comes to spare them, but since she had been with him through so much, and he knew she'd want to be there, I don't think he deliberately chose to go alone.

I like to think that Justin would have waited to say goodbye but couldn't hold on. But many people in hospice wait to be alone so not to burden those left behind with the final moments. Perhaps they want the peace of solitude to take that final step, which we all end up taking alone.

I think that Justin tried to wait until she got there but just couldn't. I know of several situations that the family is with someone who is dying but the person hangs on until they have all left to make the final transition.

Like many others have said, I do think that can happen. A friend of mine said that she thinks that’s what happened with her husband. I feel like Justin did try to wait on her.

My neighbor’s husband was in the hospital for a heat condition. He was being discharged, so she went to pick him up . He was ready to go, so she went to find a nurse to get the discharge instructions. When they returned to the room he had passed away!!!

I think if Justin could hold on in his last moments, he would have. I do think there are situations in which the person transitioning may hold on to be alone to pass in those final moments.

I really do believe that he died before she got there on purpose. Didn't want her to have face saying goodbye to him. He thought it would be easier for her to deal with it better if he was already gone when she got there. I also think that is why he pushed her to go home so hard.

I have experienced this in my own life, where a loved one passed after family had left the room for even a short amount of time. My daughter, who is a hospice nurse, has said this is pretty typical, in her experience. Whether it is because the individual relaxes when they are alone or the act of stepping from life to death is a personal experience, who knows until you get there.

I'm not sure however I believe it might be possible that it was too painful for him to say goodbye. I have a dog that passed away that waited until I wasn't home.

The people that have died in my life have always passed away when care takers or loved ones have left the room. I see this part of the book as very realistic. It struck me that Kristan Higgins has experienced the death of a loved one.

My father was breathing at a regular pace. That changed shortly after I left the room. My cousin came to get me, but he died before I could get back to him.

I think Justin tried to wait for her but his body just didn’t cooperate.

As a week at the beach was ending, my father told me he did not want to go to a hospital again. He returned home and went to his part time job the next evening. He died that evening of a massive heart attack at the age of 51. I think he knew it was coming and wanted to be alone.